Durban - It has been only a month since southern elephant seal Selso was released after being rehabilitated at Durban’s uShaka Marine World – and he has already swum 4 000km.
Thanks to a satellite tracking device attached to his head, two-year-old Selso’s caregivers at uShaka – where he spent six months being fattened up – are able to follow his every move.
Each time he surfaced from a dive, which could be as deep as 2km, the tracker sent out a signal, said uShaka spokeswoman, Ann Kunz.
“This is groundbreaking information. This kind of data has never been available before.”
An underweight Selso was found stranded on a beach in Southbroom on KZN’s Hibiscus Coast in June. After rehabilitation, he was released from the MSC Sinfonia off Port Elizabeth.
“It was the first time an (elephant) seal was stranded on South African shores and rehabilitated. In future, if another elephant seal washes up, we will have a better idea of what time of year is best to release them to ensure a better chance of survival,” said Kunz.
Delighted by Selso’s remarkable progress, Kunz said although they did not know where he came from or where he was going, he seemed to be heading to Antarctica, home to southern elephant seals.
“The last signal showed that he was in a fracture zone which is a great feeding ground.”
While Selso feasts on fish and squid, he needs to be wary of sharks, his number one predator enemy.
His kind is used to a solitary life and his weight is expected to keep picking up, leaving staff confident that he will keep going strong.
Kunz said he was likely to have enough food stored for when he crawled on to an island around August to moult for six weeks. This was one of the few times he would be among other seals, and he would later breed as well.
“We are very happy and we will keep tracking him, until maybe one day he becomes a father too,” said Kunz. - Daily News